


Learn How To Love

by TheStanByMe



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steven Universe Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 20:46:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStanByMe/pseuds/TheStanByMe
Summary: Stan and Ford, and the nature of love.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Stancest Week 2017: AU
> 
> Yes, it's a [Gems in the Woods](http://archiveofourown.org/series/339007) spin-off. It's my AU, I do what I want with it.

Stanley wasn't startled when Ford came up to him on the porch. His heavy walking boots thumped on the floors of the Shack, easily heard even before the man came out the back door. Stan had already turned around at that point, head tilted at an angle as he looked up at his brother.

Ford looked troubled even as he nodded a greeting, his mismatched hands clasping each other, the soft blue fingers covered up by his flesh-colored ones. Stan hadn't liked it when he'd noticed the new quirk, Ford working to hide away a yet another part of himself. Stan turned his body more fully, reached out, and manoeuvred his hand so that it grasped the blue one.

Ford jumped, startled, but allowed Stan to pull him down beside him on the wooden porch. It was kind of awkward with Ford seated on Stan's right, his right arm stretches across both of their laps while Stan held his hand.

"We need some seats back here," Ford mumbled, more into the collar of his emerald green sweater than to Stan. (Stan wasn't particularly fond of, nor an expert on color. He didn't know what 'Blood Orange' and why it made Mabel foam at the mouth in rage. But, he did know that _he_ was an Emerald and that Ford had always been sappy. The shirt was emerald green.)

"I'll see what I can lift," Stan said, smirking at the disgruntled scowl that came to Ford's face, like there was actually some doubt over which meaning of the word 'lift' Stan was referencing.

"I will have you know that I do not condone stealing," Ford said, voice clipped and probably assuming he sounded somehow authoritarian. Well, he might have, to anyone else, but Stanley slept with this guy snuggled into his side; he had privileges and he knew it.

"Sure thing, Poindexter." Stan grinned broadly to drive the line home and laughed when he saw Ford looking like he'd swallowed a lemon. "So, what's on your mind?"

The brief prelude worked, Ford didn't look half as troubled as he had before even as he looked more serious. The man sighed and leaned against Stan's side, his fingers twitching against Stan's.

"It's something Pearl said earlier today," Ford answered.

Stan frowned, bottom lip jutting out as he thought. The Crystal Gems had left _hours_ ago. No wonder Ford had been so upset if he'd been stewing in his thoughts that long. "You two get into another pissing contest again?"

Ford scoffed, his entire body shifting with just how much exasperation he put into it. "No, we were talking about love."

The statement was so oxymoronic, emphasis on the moronic, that Stan had to take a long moment to process it. Why on Earth? _Why_ would they? How had they managed to stay civil long enough? _Had_ they managed that much?

"Uh," was all Stan could stay at first. Then, he collected himself some more. Really, if there was one thing Ford seemed worried about... "We're not-"

"I know that." Ford said the words quickly, like they pained him. Recalling how utterly ridiculous Ford could get when forcibly inserting himself into any conversation Stan and Pearl had, Stan could understand why he might be embarrassed enough to want it never brought up again.

Honestly, all they talked about was _the kids_. It felt nicely nonjudgmental to, well, _gush_ about the twins to someone who got that, someone who understood that sometimes kids didn't need to be yours to begin with for them to _become_ yours.

"What's this about?" Stan asked, still not following as well as he would have liked.

Ford's free arm moved to wrap around Stan's back, creating an awkward hug. "She told me Gems don't love by default. That it's a learned behavior."

Something about that claim sounded wrong to Stan, but he suspected it might have been his human-raised sensibilities. His hand held Ford's blue one tighter. "Why's that got you so upset?"

"I think it's another way I'm _flawed_ ," Ford said, voice tight. "I can't hold a decent human form, I mucked up regenerating my arm, and my first memory is of loving you."

Stan hummed, thoughtful. He remembered it too, coming into awareness as a living, thinking thing. It had been pretty traumatizing, because the entire reason he'd woken up from his cosy hibernation was because Ford had been pulled away from him, they'd been separated. Only getting to touch Ford again had soothed that ache.

There were physiological reasons to explain what had happened. They'd been meant to be Beryl, rather than Aquamarine and Emerald. Their powers were magnetic and they were naturally pulled towards each other. They'd been born together, twins.

Really, though, Stanley only cared about the reason that had nothing to do with his weird, alien body. He'd been upset without Ford, inconsolable, and there had been instant contentment and happiness when Shermie had returned them to each other.

"I don't think it's because you're flawed," Stan said, certain even as Ford laid his suspicious gaze on him. He pressed his forehead against Ford's, looking at his brother, his literal other half. "I'm not flawed, and I remember loving you too, ever since we were born."

"We did have a lot to learn, though," Ford said, self-conscious. "I mean, about how to make this work."

"We're doing fine," Stan assured him. "And we're working on it some more."

Ford hummed noncommittally in response. He lifted the hand that was around Stan's back and placed it on Stan's gem, rubbing the smooth surface. The crack that used to make it harder to hear or see across distances was gone, healed and mended. Kind of like their relationship.

"I sure hope you're not feeling metaphorical there," Stan said, voice gruff.

Ford laughed. "How did _that_ come around?" he asked. "No, I'm just glad you're alright."

Stan frowned, thinking about the bumps along the road to this point. "It's not the crack that made me not alright," he commented.

"Comparatively, perhaps," Ford conceded. "But I can't exactly do anything to Bill anymore."

"Fair enough." Stan smiled in satisfaction. "But if you really wanna wreck something for me, you could go after the scientist who cracked me in the first place."

"Too late." The answer was glib, careless, and Stan floundered.

"W-what?" he sputtered. "What did you do, Poindexter?"

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," Ford said, and Stan recognized his own teasing tone immediately. Ford only laughed at his responding huff and wrapped his arms completely around Stanley. "Want to fuse?"

Fuse. That was the word the Gems used for what Ford had titled 'squaring' in their childhood. Ford truly had embraced their existence, using those words. Stan didn't mind too much.

"I always wanna fuse with you."

Ford laughed, self-conscious, and held Stan tighter. "Okay."

They didn't stop existing just because Stan Squared, Beryl, existed in their place. It was almost like a long hug, a moment of focusing on nothing but each other, but able to last indefinitely.

Beryl stood up, stretching his long arms far above his head. His silver eyes scanned the autumn woods around him and he smiled. It was a good day. And to make it even better, he was reasonably sure that if he stayed himself for the rest of the day, no one would really mind.


End file.
